


And Everything went Dancingly

by Ackermission



Series: Cotton Candy [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Dancing, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Self-Indulgent, a cute lil summer fic, and edited up to post, canonverse, full moon festival, fun times, happens during the timeskip, just a half-written fic I found in my folders, lots of immaturity and sniggering, orphanage kids - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24389650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ackermission/pseuds/Ackermission
Summary: After getting rid of all titans on their island, the 104th finally get a chance to relax. Queen Historia hosts the Full-Moon festival in her orphanage, and all cadets are invited. Fun, dancing and shenanigans ensue. A simple summer fic focusing on friendship, romance and a teeny bit of conflict smothered in tooth-rotting fluff, everything goes, well, dancingly!
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Series: Cotton Candy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761145
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Verse

**Author's Note:**

> EEEEEEE here it is!  
> Okay so this all began when I found a 6k draft in my docs. And I just HAD to edit and finish it. It's very self indulgent and very fluffy, nothing too serious. Rereading the first draft, there were quite a few scenes I really enjoyed and felt proud of, even though it's an old draft and my writing stye was different. I will be posting it in 3 chapters, with one chapter coming out every two days.  
> Please enjoy!

Everyone was nudging each other and giggling.

Jean was sweating buckets. The girl in front of him stood cool as a cucumber, gently taking hold of his left hand and placing it on her waist. Her slim fingers gripped his shoulder, and a second later, she laced their free hands together.

  
“Perfect! Now you step forward- just like that - and I step back.” she said, smiling.

  
Jean clenched his teeth and hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt, wishing he was anywhere but here. Even three full shifts of stable duty would be better than this. Eren, of course, was enjoying every second of watching Historia teach Jean (and the crowd of snickering orphans) how to slow dance. It was one of those lazy summer afternoons where the sun turned everything it touched painfully bright. If one was stupid enough to leave the safety of a roof, they’d be fried alive. The cadets were off duty today. They’d been getting more days off since they eliminated all titans from the island, and Queen Historia decided that working at the orphanage would be a good use of their time. So they had all assembled in the orphanage barn.

  
It wasn't the most comfortable idea. There were a hundred-odd people (though most of them were the tiny kind) packed together in a room that could only just hold them. The barn reeked of sweat. Hay crept in between the stitches of clothes and tumbled into shoes, poking every crevice of every human body. The kids got fidgety.  
Which is how the young Queen came up with the brilliant idea of a waltz lesson.

  
But hey, it kept the little demons entertained, so Eren counted it a success. A hilarious one. He leaned back against a faded red wall and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Look!” Sasha, who was lying on the hay a few centimetres above his head, yelled, jabbing him. Eren looked up and nearly choked laughing. Jean was lowering Historia into the world’s most awkward dip, muttering under his breath. Historia sighed in the midst of a fresh round of sniggering.

  
“You think this is funny, huh?” she asked, still mid-dip but managing to raise an eyebrow. “Well, it would be more fun if you dance along. Pair up, everyone.” Historia extricated herself from a relieved Jean’s grasp and clapped her hands. “Chop chop! We don't have all day.”

  
The kids stood up, eyeing each other doubtfully. Some of the older ones inched shyly towards their partner of choice, while the younger ones yelled about cooties. “Shit… She's serious.” Eren looked up at the haystack. “Sasha? Wanna dance?” Sasha’s head poked out from above him, a thoughtful expression on her face. Then she shook her head cheerfully, jumping down and landing next to him. “Don't tell anyone, I only dance if it involves humiliating Connie.” She winked and pushed through the crowd, presumably to find and humiliate an unsuspecting Connie. Eren realized mid-chuckle that he’d have to dance too if he stayed, and none of his friends (except Jean, who didn't quite count as one; and Historia who was busy instructing the kids) were in the barn. Resigned, he made his slow way towards the doors, dodging the large groups of kids who refused to pair up.

  
“Leaving so soon, Eren?” the Queen asked sweetly. Eren flinched. “Uh, yeah! I have… outdoor duty now. Gotta go, Historia!” She smiled. “Go on then. But I expect you to be here for the full-moon festival, okay?”

  
“The full-moon festival?” Eren rubbed a hand along the back of his head, vaguely remembering something of that sort had happened in Shiganshina. “You mean the one with the town feast where everyone plays games all night?”

  
“Something like that…” the queen was still smiling, but it no longer reached her eyes. “Not that I ever got to celebrate it, but I snuck into Mother’s carriage once as she was going to her mysterious business in town. Nobody noticed me for a good while.” She paused to tuck a stray blonde strand behind her ear. “I hid under the seat but got caught by the footman, when he opened the door for Mother. Of course I got sent back, but on the way I saw some kind of celebration. There were these beautiful people in the loveliest clothes and jewels, Eren, all bright and colorful and shiny. They were laughing and talking and dancing so gracefully under the lanterns…”

  
Seemingly catching herself before she got too lost in memory, she smiled at Eren again, the expression a little sheepish. “This must be boring you, right? I meant to say; that was my first glimpse at a full-moon festival. I want to recreate it this year. Not with rich people I don’t know, but with you guys and the kids.”  
Eren smiled back, touched. “That’s a great idea, Historia.”

  
“So you’ll be there?”

  
“Yes, and so will everyone else.”

“Good! Now go to your outdoor duty-” Eren suddenly became aware of the near-deafening noise levels in the room - “I’ve got a bunch of monkeys to tame.” she grinned before turning her attention back to the kids.

  
The rest of the afternoon was spent fruitlessly searching for his friends (were they hiding from him or something?) and ending up… well… asleep somewhere. Pardon him, this incident happened many years ago and the man tends to forget the minor details. When he woke up, it was a little past sunset. Another quick search revealed that his friends were still missing (seriously; where were they?), and Eren was dejectedly walking back to the main building when a hand roughly clamped his mouth shut and an arm grabbed his waist from behind.

  
Eren stood completely still for a moment, assessing the situation as the stranger’s grip tightened. The next second, he slammed his elbows back into a solid torso and hooked his ankle around his assaulter’s. A quick swipe of his foot had the other man flailing (not that Eren could see, but he hoped so) as he desperately tried to stop his fall. Eren, as a finishing touch, spun around and caught him. To his disappointment, the latter wasn’t grabbing at air or yelling. But knowing who he was, what else could he expect?  
“Hello, darling.” Eren murmured, kissing his captain Levi's forehead. “That was a terrible move; did you want me to win?”

  
The waxing moon shone enthusiastically down, framed by some wispy clouds, too sheer to mask the clusters of stars adorning the dark night sky. This romantic lighting was not wasted, as it happened to illuminate a certain pair of lovers in a rather compromising position. Adding to the forbidden-romance aesthetic, the duo were hidden behind the barn.

  
Eren was straddling Levi, unbuttoning Levi’s shirt with an eagerness you’d usually associate with a starved person tearing open the first packet of food they’ve laid hands on in days. Said object of Eren’s attention was rolling his eyes.

  
“Jaeger, we are in a fucking orphanage.”

  
“I know.”

  
“Outdoors.”

  
“Mm-hm.”

  
“There's grass. Mud. Ants. Even shit, for all we know.”

  
Eren gave his frowning captain a look.

  
“And how exactly is that supposed to stop me,” he asked, rubbing his thumbs gently against two freshly-bruised spots under Levi’s chest, “from checking the damage?”

  
Levi blinked once and then exhaled softly, chuckling. “I can survive much more than an elbow tackle, stupid. I’m fine.”

  
Eren mock rolled his eyes and pulled the shirt closed. Then he leaned in and rested his head on Levi’s shoulder. “Why did you attack me?”

  
Levi shrugged. “I heard about your hand-to-hand combat skills.”

  
“Not bad, right?” Eren laughed.

  
The shorter man half-smiled in acknowledgement and wrapped an arm around Eren’s shoulder. “Why are you still here? Everyone else went back to headquarters.”

  
“They did?!" Eren sat up, outraged. "When? Why didn't they tell me?!! I was looking for them all afternoon!”

  
Levi tsk’ed, more irritated by the fact that Eren had moved away from him than the question. “After you and some other cadets went to the barn. I stayed because the smaller brats wanted to test my strength.”

  
“What did they make you do?”

  
“I gave six of them a piggyback ride.” the captain’s face softened. Despite what his appearance may suggest, he was very fond of these kids. “Don't try anything fancy, my back is broken.”

  
Eren chuckled. “I won't, don't worry.”

  
At some point during their conversation, Eren leaned back against Levi, settling his head on Levi’s chest. Levi’s fingers carded through Eren’s hair. They remained like this for a while in companionable silence, each one lost in his own thoughts. Eren kept a keen eye on their surroundings just in case someone came looking for them. Sensing no immediate danger, he wrapped both arms around Levi’s waist and snuggled in closer. He felt Levi’s lips brush against the top of his head.

  
“This is romantic.” Levi murmured, causing Eren to start and then smile. He looked up at Levi. “Are you being sarcastic?”

  
“No.”

  
“Oh.”

  
Eren’s embarrassed expression made Levi chuckle. His eyes, usually a fascinating blue-green color, had a muted quality in this lighting which brought out the grey in them. They weren't as large as they had been when they first met. His facial proportions were changing; the baby face was gone, leaving behind a handsome young adult who was watching Levi curiously.

  
“You're smiling.” Eren said, sitting up and taking Levi’s face in his hands.

  
“Tch.” Levi squirmed in Eren’s grasp. “Don't stare at me with those bug eyes, brat.”

  
“Aw, you stopped.” The younger man frowned and leaned against the wall.

  
Levi, annoyed, got up and sat squarely in Eren’s lap. Eren just laughed quietly and hugged the pouting captain. They lapsed into silence again as Eren played with the captain’s hair. He discovered that the buzz cut ended somewhere above halfway up his head, at which point the longer portion abruptly began. As he marveled at the sudden (and somewhat pleasing) contrast between the fuzz and the silken strands against his palm, a thought came to him.

  
“Levi, do you know how to dance?”

  
The older man, who had been leaning into Eren’s warm touch, gave him the side-eye.  
“Yes, why?”

  
“Historia’s having a party on the full-moon festival night. There will be a lot of dancing. We're all invited.”

  
Levi looked at his hands. “I've been to parties like that before. All slobs boasting about their money.” He closed his eyes.

  
Eren frowned. “This one won’t have any slobs, Levi. It’s just us and the kids.”

  
“Still bores the shit out of me.”

  
“What about the dancing part?”

  
“Taking a dump is more interesting.”

  
The brunet’s fingers stopped carding through Levi’s hair. “I see.”

  
Something about his tone made Levi turn around.“Eren,” he said.

  
Those large eyes looked at him, but their owner maintained a sullen silence.

  
“This is something interesting to you brats. Don’t let one jaded old man’s views stop you from going.” he said in full seriousness, noting how unconvinced Eren still looked. “You may like it.” Eren slowly nodded. “Don’t worry, Levi, I was planning on going anyway.”

  
“Good. Now do you want us to spend the night here or go back?”

  
Finally, that smile was back on Eren’s face.  
“Levi, darling, I think you know the answer to that.” he said, slipping a hand into his ‘darling’s’ still-open shirt to helpfully supply hints. Just in case he didn’t get it. Judging by the way Levi's breath hitched, he got it.

  
“Get up. My horse is ready, and we are going to my room. Yours has the shittiest lock I’ve ever seen.”

  
“Yes, sir!” Grinning now, Eren helped Levi up and practically ran to the stables. The latter just shook his head in amusement and followed, buttoning up his shirt as he walked, fully aware that it (and the rest of his clothes) would be off again in half an hour.

  
Not that he particularly minded.

  
The next couple of days flew by in training and before they knew it, it was the day of the full-moon festival. They had the evening off as requested by Historia, since the dance would start at sundown. Eren grabbed a clean short-sleeved shirt and black pants, got dressed and splashed some water from his basin onto his face. Unfortunately, cadets got only so much water in a day to drink and wash with. This would have to do for now. Lacing up the strings on his shirt, he jogged out of his room and down the hallway, giving Armin’s and Mikasa’s doors a loud tap on the way. They had to get ready faster if they wanted to go with him. In another minute, Eren had reached his destination - a large, airy, spotless bedroom with well-worn wooden furniture and a bucket of water set to heat on the fireplace - and went to the round mirror fixed on the wall. He grimaced at his reflection. Maybe growing out his hair wasn't a good idea, he thought, running a hand through the limp, haggard strands. He was just about to pull it into its usual low ponytail when a calloused hand smacked away his own and gently tugged at his hair. Sturdy fingers detangled the knotted strands with a practiced ease.

  
Eren mock-sighed and let Levi do his hair.

  
“When you get back, you're washing this mess you call hair.” Levi said.

  
Eren glanced at his captain’s reflection in surprise. “Aren't you taking a bath? I don't have enough water, and neither will you.”

  
“Pfft. I have enough, don't worry.”

  
The younger man huffed, catching Levi's eye in the mirror. Bathing was a rarity here since they didn’t have any water sources nearby. Just getting enough to drink was a miracle sometimes. Luckily for them, the rains had been heavy this year… Even so, cadets got a chance to bathe once in a month. Washing his hair would be a waste of that precious water, and Eren knew that Levi would have to manage his own bath with half the amount so that Eren could have the luxury of extra water for his hair.

  
Levi had such a gentle expression on his face as he worked on removing the knots, that it made Eren’s heart melt a little. “Okay.”

  
They exchanged a small smile. He leaned back onto Levi's torso.

  
“It's nice going with my friends, but… I wish you'd come too.” he murmured.

  
Levi blinked. “I don't dance.”

  
“I know, I heard you the first time. You don't have to dance. I'm sure they have other activities. Something you'd like.”

  
The older man shook his head, quietly finishing with Eren’s hair. “It’s just-”

  
They heard Mikasa yelling that she was ready to go. Levi took away Eren’s hair tie, his expression soft but otherwise undecipherable. Eren watched him pocket the small thing curiously. “It’s just what?”

  
“Nothing. You're decent. Now go.”

  
Eren opened his mouth to say something, but Armin was calling him too. He stood up and gave Levi a concerned look. “We’ll talk later okay?”

  
Levi nodded. “Yes. Meet me here when you come back.”

“Of course.”

  
A quick peck on his captain’s lips later, Eren was gone.


	2. Chorus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably my favourite chapter. I'm not much of a description person but I tried my best here, and I like how it turned out :)

“Wow, check this out!” Connie yelled, running ahead of Eren, Armin and Mikasa with an excited Sasha in tow. 

The farmhouse looked like a completely different place. Little paper lanterns lined the top of every vertical surface, adding a warm glow to the central courtyard, which had been flattened and laid with wood to make a smooth dance floor. Against the side of the barn was a raised wooden platform on which the queen stood, talking to some of the band members. The larger instruments were arranged and ready to play while the fiddles, violins and accordion were kept in cases by the side of the platform. To the right stood a series of tables laden with enormous dishes filled with delicious-smelling food. A large group of children gleefully thudded around the new dance floor, while some others stood close to the tables, occasionally stealing a little taste. Most of them were fidgeting with their new clothes (nice ones, but not very comfortable) and laughing at the others’ antics. 

It was a bright, lively scene, nothing at all like the ‘boring’ event Levi had described. There wasn’t a rich snob in sight.

Eren looked at his friends. None of them had the luxury of fancy clothes, just two clean sets aside from their uniforms. Mikasa was wearing a white button-down shirt with a long, dark blue skirt and her red scarf. Armin wore a more casual grey shirt and standard black pants and Sasha had on a plain, but nicely fitted brown dress. Connie hadn’t bothered to change his clothes, wearing the same shirt and pants he had since morning. All of them were wearing boots. They didn’t look too out of place, however, since Historia liked to wear commoner’s clothes whenever she visited the orphanage. Today was no exception; she was wearing a simple white shirt and pink skirt. She could easily pass for the more familiar girl he knew back in the Survey Corps.

This put him immediately at ease.

“Hey, Historia!” Sasha called, waving enthusiastically at the petite blonde who turned away from the drummer

Historia’s face lit up at the sight of them. “You came!” 

“Of course we did.” Armin replied, as his friends waved. Well, all of them except Sasha, that is. Having already greeted the queen, the brunette’s attention was now on the true love of her life- food. She was already at the tables, munching on something. “Dif is good!” 

“Hey, no eating ‘til the dancing is over!” a kid warned. The nearest matron nodded, giving Sasha a pointed look. She raised her eyebrows with a final chew. “Wanna tattle, kid? Okay. How ‘bout I tell this lady here how you managed to get a finger into at least three dishes while she wasn't looking?” 

“Oooooooooooooo” chorused all the kids. Eren, Connie and Armin joined them with hoots and whistles.

Mikasa stepped away. “I do not know these people.”

The queen laughed delightfully, causing more than a few admiring heads in the crowd to turn her way. 

“The palace staff.” Armin said, noticing Eren’s curious glances at the other young adults in the crowd. “Historia invited them too.”

“Cool.” His curiosity sated, Eren turned his attention to his other friend. 

“Hey Mikasa, you can stop not-knowing us now.” he called. 

Mikasa ignored him. The boys looked at each other. Armin gave him a sly smile. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Eren nodded cheekily. He and Armin marched to the girl, each taking one of her hands in his own and swinging it in an exaggeratedly jovial fashion.

“Idiots.” she muttered, but there was a smile in her voice.

A lively beat filled the night air. People stopped chatting in their groups and turned to the stage, excited, trying to find some familiarity in the tune. Well, maybe calling it a tune was a bit of a stretch since it depended solely on drums. 

Connie gasped. “Hey! That’s what we used to dance to in my village!”

“Then show us how it’s done!” Historia yelled from the platform.

“I’ll need at least one other person with me.. Sasha! Put that potato down and come here!”

Sasha twirled over with a glint in her eye. “You called?”

He waited for a second and with the right beat, pulled her into a sudden dip before leading her through a quick but simple sequence of steps, each one emphasizing the ups and downs of that particular beat. It was really pleasing to the eye.

The crowd whooped. 

In seconds, the large dance floor was full of people either imitating Connie and Sasha’s moves or adding their own. They were clearly having fun. Eren, Armin and Mikasa still stood to the side hesitantly, talking a little here and there but mostly just smiling at the infectious energy the dance floor was generating, and tapping their feet to the catchy beat. 

But then the music morphed into something much more familiar.

Smaller drums rattled out a sharp base beat over which fiddles layered smoothly, playing that special but familiar melody the trio knew so well. All that was missing now was… “The harmonica.” Mikasa murmured, as said instrument began to be played. 

Eren’s heart swelled. He was listening to this song, which he thought was lost from his life forever, after almost eight years…And every little twist of the tune brought back a memory, which he savored as it flashed in his mind. His parents laughing as they danced amidst a large crowd. The games of hide-and-seek he played with his friends, weaving in and out of the festive village square. The jokes and stories the elders would tell as a hundred-odd villagers sat for dinner together. The taste of the apple he’d always win in the string-apple contest. Falling asleep, tired and content, at the back of his father’s cart as the sun rose the next day…

An awed sort of hush fell over the crowd all of a sudden, and Eren realized mid-step that they were staring at him. Well, him and his friends, who happened to be moving together perfectly in sync with the music. In the middle of the dance floor.

When did this happen?!

He self-consciously cleared his throat and looked first at Armin and then at Mikasa. Their eyes were shining in exhilaration, even as the music continued and they continued to dance to it. And then he realized that, like an idiot, he’d been third-wheeling them, since the dance was meant to be done in pairs. And them being the kind angels they were, Armin and Mikasa had been directing a step in his direction every once in a while. The full impact of what was going on hit him and he stopped, mortified. Shit. _Shit._ He’d just made a massive fool of himself in front of _everyone_. The very first time he ever went dancing. 

“Eren?” Mikasa asked softly. “Are you okay?”

He could feel his ears turn red. She was giving him that concerned look he knew only too well, and Armin’s hand squeezed his shoulder, but it felt oddly distant. He could sense hundreds of pairs of eyes on him, curious, waiting, judging. He looked down at his feet. Jeez, now that he was actually paying attention to them- were they always that huge, or was it just the boots?

_Bad time to worry about that. Focus._

“Uh, yeah… Just gotta go to the bathroom.” he mumbled and, with an awkward wave at his friends, rushed off the dance floor. Hoping his friends wouldn’t come after him, Eren brisk-walked in the general direction of the main building. He didn’t have any particular destination in mind. He just wanted to be well away from people in general, maybe dig a hole and hide his head in it like those weird birds Armin told him about once, pray that by the end of the night, everyone had forgotten about his existence and every interaction they ever had with him - 

But then a familiar, calloused hand grabbed his own and Eren could’ve sobbed in relief. For someone who claimed to be awkward, Levi’s intuition - and timing - was excellent. Eren let out a surprised, slightly breathless laugh as he allowed himself to be led under the cover of darkness swiftly and silently into the barn. 

Once inside, he pulled Levi into a tight hug. 

“You told me you weren’t coming.” he whispered into the older man’s still-damp hair. He didn’t mean to bury his face into that lush mane, but oh how good he smelled. Like soap and that special blend of tea, the fireplace and just his own, unique, musky scent. And how perfectly his broad, warm, solid body fit in the younger man’s arms.This was _exactly_ what he needed.

Eren felt strong arms wrapping around him and pulling him tighter into their embrace. 

“It was too quiet without you brats.” Levi replied by way of explanation.

Eren laughed. “I’m calling bullshit. You missed me.”

“Maybe.” the raven murmured into Eren’s neck. 

“Oh, you definitely did.” 

Levi shook his head slightly but Eren could feel him smile. He also felt the smile vanish a second later.

“Oi. Why did you run off?”

The brunet’s face turned hot. “You saw that?”

Levi gave him a puzzled look. “I saw you walking away from the dance floor as fast as you could without running. Did something happen?” 

“Not really… Just… that dance was meant for couples only and I figured that out too late. I was kind of… dancing with both my friends until people stared at me, and… fuck, it was awkward.”

Levi stared at him incredulously. “Eren, you shit-for-brains.”

“You have to taunt me too?!” the brunet pulled away from Levi’s grasp and gave him a pained look.

“No, I meant- Oi, Eren! Where are you going, come here.” 

Those turquoise eyes were filled with hurt and shame as Eren gave him a quick glare before walking determinedly to the barn door Levi stared at him in confusion. Was he more affected by his actions than he was letting on, or… or Levi has said something wrong. Eren was already hurt, and Levi didn’t get to finish his sentence, leaving what was clearly worded as an insult to hang between them. His eyes widened in realization. Shit, this was bad, this was not what he was about to say before he was interrupted-!

“Eren.” 

Said young man was almost at the doors now, and showed no signs of stopping or slowing down. He was clearly a lot more upset than he seemed. If there was a time Levi wished his legs were not so fucking short, this was it. He practically had to run to keep up with Eren. 

“Eren, wait! Let me finish my sentence, goddammit, I didn’t-!”

Still no response, except for a quickening of pace on the brunet’s part. 

Levi flung aside all remnants of his pride and ran after Eren. The brunet, thanks to his ridiculously long legs, sprinted away and slammed the door shut after him. 

“Fuck… Eren Jaeger! Come back! I’m not done talking to-- what the?!” He yanked at the doorknob, which instantly detached from the door. 

“Dammit!” the raven growled and kicked the door with all his might, but even his powerful legs couldn’t make it budge. Which was when he remembered that 1. the particular door only opened inwards and 2. old wood had a tendency to swell up and get jammed easily. And without a doorknob or handle of some sort, he was stuck in here for good.

He gave the door one last deafening kick and went back inside. He’d find an opening of some sort, or make one, and get back to Eren at any cost. 

_Good riddance to that asshole_ , Eren thought, dashing away from the barn and back to the dance area. Stubbornly ignoring the gnawing in his heart, he wiped his furious tears and dragged a hand against his nose. How dare he call him stupid? After being the one who always, always encouraged him to do whatever he chose, after never judging him for anything, no matter how horrible it was? Who would have expected something like that from Levi?

Definitely not Eren.

Sucking in a ragged, painful breath, he came to a decision. He didn’t want to start sobbing in public. He wasn’t going to think about him, nor was he going to stand alone as if he was waiting for Levi to come to him and offer some sort of explanation. _BUT!_ His brain screamed. _You ARE waiting for an explanation! He loves you, why would he hurt you like that?_ Why indeed…. But no. He had more self-respect than that. Levi had made it more abundantly clear exactly what he thought about Eren, his so-called lover.

Shit-for-brains, huh?

Schooling his expression into one of careless indifference, he waited for another minute for the redness in his eyes to reduce (and no, _definitely not for someone to find him_ ) and then firmly walked to the dance floor, each step measured and deliberate. He completely ignored the way his ears perked up whenever he heard running footsteps (which was pretty often). And then, with a deep breath, he raised his head to look at the dance floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *waves*  
> *Holds up sign*  
> Sign: Penny for your thoughts on this chapter? ↓


	3. Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shenanigans ensue. Will they get back together? Will this chapter end in a cliffhanger? Both questions have the same answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are late as always, and I will blame work for it, like always. Because I work now. Hehe.  
> (Also I am expanding this to 4 chapters because the original chap 3 was just way too long to fit in with 1 and 2. Sorry, you'll have to wait a couple of days for the ending, but I promise I'll make it worth the wait.)

Much to Eren’s surprise, the Shiganshina folk song was still playing and almost everyone was still dancing to it. Not in pairs, but in groups of three.

Wait, what?!

Eren could only watch them, frozen to the spot, too stunned to do anything other than open and close his mouth dumbly. This was too strange for him to even react. Why were they dancing in threes? They looked ridiculous. A few minutes of gaping later, he realized with a start that none of these people, with the exception of himself, Armin and Mikasa, were actually from Shiganshina. Or from the south of Maria, for that matter. They were simply following the moves the trio had started.

And then he realized another obvious thing - _his friends had been accommodating him in their dance from the start._ It didn’t look like a couple was dancing with a third person; it looked like all three of them were equally involved in the dance.

Oh. _Oh._

So that meant… all his embarrassment was for nothing?

Apparently, it was possible for his ears to turn even redder, which they promptly did. Eren shoved some of his hair over his ears and ran into the crowd, trying to spot the familiar sunshine-blond bob or a glimpse of a red scarf. They were the only people he wanted to see right now. They’d make him feel better. He would tell them why he ran from the dance floor, knowing they wouldn’t laugh or make fun of him. They’d listen and sympathize, and that was what he needed.

However, looking for his friends was easier said than done, because he had to squeeze through the throng of bodies, large and small alike, several of whom wore red or had blonde hair. It was dizzying, misleading and painfully slow all at once. He cursed quietly. He’d never find them at this rate.

After a couple of seconds’ pause at the fringe of the crowd, he was attempting to dive back into the human masses when an irritatingly familiar neigh - no, voice - made itself heard.

“What’s the matter, Jaeger? Looking for your boyfriend and girlfriend?”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or punch that horse face. 

“Yes, actually. Happen to see them anywhere while you were grazing?”

Jean was nothing if not thick-skinned by now. “No. I was looking for Mikasa myself for a dance. If she turns me down, I can always ask Armin.” 

Eren scoffed. “And what makes you think he’ll accept you?”

“He knows how charming I am and is smart enough not to let this chance go to waste.” The obnoxious young man raked a hand through his strangely colored, two-toned hair and flashed a grin at Eren. 

Eren shook his head. “Just tell me when you’re about to ask him, I really need a laugh, okay?” 

With that, Eren gave Jean a firm pat on the back and plunged into the crowd once again, glad that his friends were on the forefront of his mind, where they deserved to be. Well, for all of three seconds. He just couldn't go too long without thinking about Levi. Seriously, where was he? 

Now that Eren knew what he must have looked like out there, another wave of embarrassment shot through him. Great. Not only did he run off the dance floor like an idiot when he was supposed to be having fun, he had also overreacted to a nickname Levi had, he realized in hindsight, said with affection. After Levi had come all the way to this festival, something he didn’t even like, to surprise Eren.

Fantastic.

He doubted Levi would be searching for him after that blunder. Anyway, he wasn’t quite ready to see Levi yet. He wasn’t sure he could even look his captain in the eye anytime soon. His friends, on the other hand, were definitely looking for him somewhere. They were his first priority right now. 

Levi cursed as he swung his blistered foot away from the barn wall. He’d planted a hard kick onto as much of the smooth wooden surface before him as he could, with no results. At the very least, wasn’t he making enough of a racket that someone outside would hear and open the door for him?

Apparently not. 

There weren’t even any windows low enough to climb out of in this godforsaken wooden prison. If only he had his 3DMG.... The man looked down at his sleek, thigh-hugging pants and the waistcoat he’d discarded on the floor. His once-pristine white shirt was soaked in sweat, and for what? So far, he’d only succeeded in making the cows mad. Oh, and his lover was furious with him. He gritted his teeth and swung his foot at the door again, knowing that it wouldn’t have any effect.

Not that it mattered. He wanted it to hurt; he deserved the pain, he needed to see it on his body even as it squeezed his heart from within. He’d run his mouth again, been too abrupt, too sharp, and it was too much to expect Eren to just stand there and listen when he was already so upset. And the worst part was, it was unintentional. He didn’t expect Eren to run away without hearing his whole sentence _._

“ _Eren, you shit-for-brains. Did you actually think they were staring because you looked like a third wheel? No, you fit right in! You belonged on that dance floor. They were staring because they couldn’t take their eyes off you. Not when you could dance like that, fuck,_ I _didn’t know you could move that well, and… I came here because… well, I wanted to ask you for a dance.”_

Even if the younger man couldn't dance, Levi would’ve asked him anyway; that was the whole reason he was here in the first place. He’d planned this surprise right from that night when Eren invited him to this party, as a way to make up for the rude way he had talked about something Eren was clearly looking forward to. That, and the brunet really seemed eager to dance with him, so who was he to refuse? Not that he wasn’t anticipating the moment himself. 

But he ruined it by being a tone-deaf jerk to Eren.

He sighed, crouching on the floor. He could, theoretically, stay here until someone opened the barn door from the outside. It wasn’t too bad in the barn, plus, Eren would get to be with his friends, have a good time and hopefully forget about what he said. But Levi knew he couldn’t let this go. He had to talk to Eren and clear things up. 

He looked up at the high windows again. They were obviously far out of his reach, but they were also the sole possible exit route. If only there was something tall enough for him to stand on…

Somewhere in the background, a cow made a cross between a moo and a yawn.

Levi looked at it thoughtfully for a moment. His mind made a subconscious calculation. Yes, he was desperate enough.

“Call me a fucking sap.” he said to no one in particular, making his way to the cow nearest the windows. 

Eren, meanwhile, was running towards the main building. He’d elbowed and slipped his way through the entire crowd (no mean feat) and still hadn’t found Armin or Mikasa, which could only mean that they were elsewhere. Probably searching for him, he figured, skidding to a halt right at the doorstep of the building. It was relatively quiet and empty. Little wafts of cool air caressed his hot skin and he stood there, panting. Catching his breath was a good idea right now. 

The party looked so frenzied from this distance, so frivolous. The rest of the farmland was an ocean of calm. The darkness, slow movements of the grass and leaves, the cool shadows, the soft, diffused glow of the full moon combined with the countless little stars dotting the sky offered him a slice of tranquility which he gladly accepted. He slid down, deciding it wouldn't hurt to sit quiet for a while. This was nice. He liked how the wind ruffled his hair as his thoughts ran their course in his head. He let them. 

Surprisingly, the debacle with Levi wasn’t the first thing he thought about. A rush of emotions coursed through him instead. Excitement, happiness, embarrassment, comfort, anger, more embarrassment, fear and finally, a small but growing sense of calm- all in one evening. How exhausting. 

_Levi,_ his brain prompted helpfully, signalling the end of his short-lived peace.

Eren groaned. 

Anger and embarrassment flared up again, and he flopped face down onto the grass. It was easier to think about what an absolute, utter fool he had made of himself in front of his friends, his lover and a large number of strangers, when his face was hidden in the overgrowth. It felt cool and prickly and smelled like damp earth. He flung his arms wide apart for good measure.

Now that he looked as dramatic as he felt, it was time to have a nice long think. 

It had been at least five songs since the Shiganshina dance. The festival was now in full swing, with several cadets, children and other attendees having a blast on the dance floor. Some were playing games on the sidelines- mostly children, taking advantage of the chaos to spice up their hide-and-seek- while a few others helped themselves to platefuls of the delicious food. 

Mikasa was doing none of these things. She had been worried ever since Eren ran off. Something was clearly up- he’d stopped dead in the middle of their dance and looked so upset that she was instantly worried. She couldn’t shake it off and enjoy the rest of the dance after he left. She had hoped he would return, but didn’t really expect him to. He didn’t. One song later, Armin picked up on her worry and pulled her off the dance floor. They agreed to split up and look for Eren, planning their routes so that they’d be within yelling range of each other at all times.

Mikasa went to the nearest building. As expected, he wasn’t in any of the bathrooms, nor was he in the old-fashioned outhouse. He was nowhere near the festivities. He wasn’t in the barn either, which was surprising because it had footprints behind the door. Someone- Eren, maybe?- had been kicking it in frustration. The doorknob was on the floor. Frowning, she checked around the livestock. No human presence. 

Eren wasn’t in the fields. He wasn’t in the orchard. He wasn’t in the woods, though Mikasa ran into a few startled couples behind some of the trees she circled. (If she hadn’t been a cadet, she would have been very flustered by what she saw. As someone who had been through training corps, however, she was unbothered and only slightly amused as she finished her search, keeping an ear out for shenanigans and giving those trees a wide berth.)

It was a little over an hour since she began her search. Mikasa was just about to call for Armin, finishing an unfruitful search of the residential building, when she finally spotted Eren.

What she saw gave her a heart attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


End file.
